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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762953">Parks and Recreation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/happygiraffe/pseuds/turtleduckzukka'>turtleduckzukka (happygiraffe)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Modern AU, Sokka (Avatar) Has ADHD, Sort Of, Summer Camp AU, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko is good with kids, druk is a bearded dragon, fluffy stuff, just a pinch, lil bit of angst, lots of banter, more like grouchy co-volunteers to cute friends, zuko likes animals</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:09:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762953</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/happygiraffe/pseuds/turtleduckzukka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was escaping!" Sokka explains, dropping the snake back onto the table. "Shouldn't that thing be in its cage?"</p><p>"She was not escaping," snaps the Jerkface. "She was sitting. Quietly. Which makes her a better volunteer than you already."</p><p>Sokka and Suki volunteer to teach at a local summer rec program, and Sokka's assigned partner is not exactly (or maybe exactly) what he hoped.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka &amp; Zuko &amp; Suki, Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Zukka 18+ Chaos Server: Jan 2021 Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Parks and Recreation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/constellayetion/gifts">constellayetion</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Em/constallayetions!! I hope you enjoy! I really relished the chance to draw on my literal 15+ years of girl scouting knowledge for this premise, haha </p><p>It's been a pleasure reading &amp; writing with the Zukka Chaos Server for this event!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka already has a bad feeling about this.</p><p>He is sweating through his t-shirt already and the girl dressed head to toe in pink under-armour gear is still talking. She’s the volunteer coordinator for Suki’s sorority.</p><p>"How many of you are here for Greek life service hours? I know I am!" The girl in pink makes the letter K with her fingers.</p><p>Suki’s hand shoots up, along with about half of the other 20-somethings gathered around, all sitting under the beating sun, on picnic tables or sitting in the grass.</p><p>"How about honors program?"</p><p>Sokka raises his hand, along with a smattering of other people.</p><p>"That's great! Any of you can come find me at the end of the day and I'll sign any community service forms that you have. If you’re getting hours for anything more official like a disciplinary requirement, you need to take your form to one of the program directors instead—so anyway…”</p><p>Sokka stops listening. The summer rec program had seemed like a good fit for him for his honors program community service—he likes kids, and kids have always liked him. Perks of being a funny guy. This is going to be fine. Except he’s already sweaty and grumpy, and there are no kids in sight.</p><p>“For those who are new, you’ll be partnered up with some of our veteran volunteers for the week!" she prattles on. “Your assignments for today are printed on the back of your name badges. If you need help finding your assigned station, find one of us with the clipboards!"</p><p>He makes eye contact with Suki, who flashes the back of her name badge at him. It says “<em>Martial Arts - Indoor Gym</em>”</p><p>Sokka shows her his own, which says “<em>Nature – room 3A</em>”</p><p>“What’s nature?” Suki asks.</p><p>“Guess I’ll find out.”</p><p>He probably shouldn’t have written about his interest in science education on his application. He’d thought the program might have some kind of engineering or physics activity, something where he could use his expertise and help kids build fun stuff or something. Sokka supposes it could be worse. At least his assignment is indoors and not in the 90-degree heat.</p><p>Sokka finds his way to room 3A. His eyes are drawn immediately to a huge glass tank across the back wall, with python sitting on top—nope, not in the tank (he does a double take to make sure). On top. Completely loose.</p><p>For some reason, the only words Sokka can blurt out are "Uhm, that's a problem." He reaches out with both hands to grab the snake, which allows itself to be picked up like an enormous piece of spaghetti. It literally flops in his hands.</p><p>"What the <em>fuck</em> are you doing?" A voice roars. "Put her down!"</p><p>Sokka drops the snake onto the table, eliciting another yelp from the person who had spoken.</p><p>"It was escaping!" Sokka explains</p><p>The dude who had yelled is like, a six-foot tall beanpole, but somehow not in a scrawny way. He might be cute if he didn’t look ready to tear Sokka’s head off. "She was not escaping," he says, kind of growly and very slow, as though he were speaking to someone not too bright. "She was sitting. Quietly. Which makes her a better volunteer than you already."</p><p>"Don't you think that thing should be in its cage?" Sokka counters, unwilling to concede that point.</p><p>"She wasn't hurting anything. You didn't have to drop her," he snaps.</p><p>"You didn't have to scream," says Sokka.</p><p>Sokka watches him take the snake gently in both arms and lower it into the tank so that it can slither out of his grip and onto a log. He catches a glimpse of the guy's name badge – "Zuko – Nature". It looks worn and faded, and its plastic sleeve is decorated with stickers. So he's around a lot, it seems. Sokka doesn't remember him raising his hand to say he was here with one of the service frats, and he definitely hasn't seen this guy in any honors seminars. Maybe he's a delinquent. He's certainly surly enough.</p><p>The guy takes a deep breath. "Do not touch Turtle or her habitat again. You can have the weather table. The kids will arrive soon, but they'll have their morning stuff for about an hour before they come to us. Try to read through some of the activities and games before then, I don't have time to teach you."</p><p>"Yes sir," says Sokka sarcastically. He wanders over to the table that Grumpy Jerkface had pointed at. There are paper sundials, thermometers and barometers, a hot plate, and a few stapled packets with instructions for weather-themed activities. He picks one up and starts skimming.</p><p>He's barely halfway through the packet when the children arrive. Zuko stands up from whatever he was doing at the other table and walks around to greet them. A sharp glare at Sokka tells him that he should do the same.</p><p>"Hi everybody - Hi Tom-Tom," Zuko smiles at a kid in the back who is literally vibrating with excitement. "You can pick your own seats, four to a table please. For those of you who don't know, I'm Zuko, and this is, uh," he pauses.</p><p>"Sokka here," Sokka interjects with a goofy salute. Some of the kids smile. Jerkface does not.</p><p>When the dozen or so children have mostly taken seats and settled down, Zuko continues. "We're going to be running your first activity for the day!"</p><p>None of Zuko's initial gruffness seems to translate to the kids at all. Sokka almost wants to be offended.</p><p>"You take the left two tables, and I'll take the right two. At 9:30, we'll switch," says Zuko, grabbing a carboard box off his side of the counter.</p><p>"And do what?"</p><p>"An activity," Zuko rolls his eyes, gesturing vaguely. "I told you to prepare something."</p><p>"Right. An activity. We love activities." Sokka glances helplessly around the table and grabs a handful of paper sundials.</p><p>"So," Zuko says to his side of the room. "How many of you kids like reptiles?" Hands shoot up.</p><p>"Right. Hello." Sokka addresses his kids. “So, uh, can anybody here tell me what a sundial is?”</p><p>The activity is simple, and mostly involves sticking a wooden dowels into some sticky tack on the papers at the right angle, calculated from their latitude and longitude. Then he lets them shine flashlights on their creations from different angles, and let the shadow of the dowel rotate around the face of the clock.</p><p>It works great, except that the kids are all stealing glances over at Jerkface’s side of the room. They seem to be passing around a big sheet of paper, making a bulleted list of important things that animals need in their habitats, while Zuko coaxes the giant snake up his arm again.</p><p>“Hey, so um, imagine we have to survive in the wilderness,” Sokka tries lamely. “No phones, no clocks. And we need to know what time it is.”</p><p>“Mr. Sokka, can we do that?” a girl in the front interrupts.</p><p>Zuko now has the fucking snake wrapped around his neck and is inviting one kid at a time to come and pet her belly. Sokka checks his watch. It’s almost 9:30.</p><p>“Yeah, in a minute,” he sighs.</p><p>The groups switch, and Sokka’s group gets to learn about habitats while Zuko’s kids come to Sokka to make sundials. They don’t seem particularly enthused either. When the block is over, Zuko puts his snake back in the tank.</p><p>“You know, the most interesting part of that module is calculating the latitude and longitude,” he says smugly. “Group A is six-to-eights. They don’t know what latitude and longitude are.”</p><p>“Well, sor-<em>ry</em>,” Sokka grumbles.</p><p>“The B group is eleven-to-twelves. I’d probably go with weather journals if I were you.”</p><p>Sokka doesn’t reply. He rifles through the pile for an activity that is definitely not weather journals.</p><p>The module on barometric pressure definitely goes over a little better, but really, nothing that can be written up in a few stapled pages and kept in a box could possibly be more interesting than a live ball python, so Sokka decides that the game was rigged against him, and resolves not to take it personally.</p><p>They get a lunch break after that, so Sokka finds Suki sitting out on the lawn. She’s laughing breathlessly with Ty Lee.</p><p>“Sokka! How’s nature?” she asks.</p><p>“Very weathery,” Sokka reports. “And the guy running the station hates me, and has a giant pet snake that could probably kill me. Want to trade?”</p><p>“Wait, that’s Zuko isn’t it?” Ty Lee asks.</p><p>“<em>Ohhhh</em>,” says Suki.</p><p>Sokka turns to her in confusion. “Yeah, you know him?”</p><p>“He’s a townie. We went to the same high school.”</p><p>“Wait,” Sokka says, putting down his sandwich. “Tall guy, big scar, resting grump face, went to your high school—is this the guy who used to shove you and Toph around, and get suspended for punching walls and shit?”</p><p>“That’s the one,” Suki confirms.</p><p>“Ugh, the worst,” Sokka moans.</p><p>“Really? Zuko?” Ty Lee asks. “I get the resting grump face, but I can’t imagine him hurting a fly!”</p><p>Suki snorts derisively.</p><p>“I seriously didn’t know, Sokka, I put you with him because he totally seems like your type!” says Ty Lee.</p><p>“Snobby, bullying jerkface is my type?”</p><p>“Easy,” Suki takes a bite of her sandwich and chews it thoughtfully. “Maybe she’s right, and he’s not like that anymore. I guess everybody’s got to grow up at some point,” she offers. “Let’s talk about something else.”</p><p>Across the lawn, Sokka spots Zuko hovering near the picnic tables where the sandwiches are being served. He makes eye contact with Sokka while he’s laughing with Suki, and makes a beeline in the opposite direction.</p><p>
  <em>Whatever.</em>
</p><p>Sokka gets back to his dorm room that night and researches some better weather-related activities. He’s not sure if he’s supposed to be righteously furious at Suki’s former bully, or professionally annoyed at him, but he’ll be damned if he’s going to be one-upped by him tomorrow.</p><p>…</p><p>“Wait—what do you mean reassigned?”</p><p>“I mean that you’re covering Outdoor Games instead of Nature today,” Haru repeated.</p><p>“Does that usually happen?” Sokka asks. He swallows, a big old ball of RSD settling in his throat. “Um, did Zuko request a different partner?”</p><p>“I’d say most people have the same assignment all week, but it’s really not unheard of. It’s just how the volunteer numbers worked out today. Is it a problem?”</p><p>“Um, I guess not,” says Sokka.</p><p>Outdoor Games is held out behind the building, where there’s a small lawn and a tennis court. Sokka has to admit that it’s easy, and pretty fun (in addition to really, really sweaty). But he finds himself circling back to wondering how he fucked up so badly yesterday.</p><p>He’s not going to spiral over this. Nope, not today.</p><p>Since he is outside, and Zuko is presumably inside, maybe it’s not surprising that they don’t cross paths.</p><p>“Sokka?” Ty Lee asks. His mind has been wandering throughout lunch.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Red sugar water?” she asks, offering him a cup of the “fruit punch” made from a bulk powder that they’re serving.</p><p>“Oh, thanks.”</p><p>“Okay, the red sugar water is punch,” Suki says. “And the yellow one is supposed to be lemonade, but what’s in the third cooler?”</p><p>“Brown sugar water. Iced tea.” Ty Lee explains.</p><p>“There’s no way that’s tea,” Suki objects.</p><p>Ty Lee frowns, just the tiniest bit. “At least half the kids in the program come here for free. We buy what we can.” she says.</p><p>“No, I know,” Suki assures her. “Seriously. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if we had access to something like this when we were growing up. Can you, Sokka?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You’re really distracted today,” says Suki.</p><p>“Oh. Yeah, sorry about that.”</p><p>“Is something bothering you?” Ty Lee asks. “There’s something funny with your aura, I can sense it. You’ve been ruminating on something.”</p><p>“I don’t need an aura to deduce that,” Suki interjects. “You’re doing that thing you do, Sokka. Whatever conversation you’re avoiding, I think you better just find the person and ask them what you want to know.”</p><p>“Communication? Gross,” Sokka tries for a laugh. “It’s nothing, it’s not important. Maybe I will, though.” He takes a long sip of red sugar water. “Thanks, Sukes.”</p><p>…</p><p>On Friday, it downpours.</p><p>There are too many bodies in the building, and it’s already so hot and humid that they’re opening the windows, even if they have to stuff the sills with towels to protect against the rain.</p><p>“No outdoor games today,” Haru says to Sokka and the other volunteers in his group. “You can go to whatever station you like. The kids are going to be antsy today, so I’m sure anybody will be happy for your help.”</p><p>Sokka waffles back and forth for several moments before taking Suki’s advice from the day before and walking towards the Nature classroom. He meets Zuko head-on in the hallway.</p><p>“Hey,” says Zuko boredly, sidestepping to get out of the way.</p><p>“No, not hey,” says Sokka. “I’m with you today.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“I’m not stupid. I’ve noticed you avoiding me. I actually planned some cool stuff for today, and the kids are going to like it.”</p><p>“Oh,” says Zuko again. “Yeah, I didn’t have a problem with your teaching. We were all new once.”</p><p>“Oh?” Sokka asks, tilting his head slightly.</p><p>Zuko’s gaze flits away uncomfortably, then back again. “Sorry if I hurt your feelings. I figured I was doing you a favor. You’re always talking with Suki, so I figured you’d probably heard enough about me.”</p><p>Sokka’s mouth falls open into a soft ‘o’ shape. “And I figured I just botched everything on Monday.”</p><p>“It was a little rough, sure,” Zuko admits.</p><p>“And you’re a former jerk. At least, I presume it’s former.”</p><p>Zuko doesn’t laugh until Sokka does. Okay, easy on the jokes then. Sokka can do this. They split up to prep for first block.</p><p>The huge tank that had housed Turtle the Snake on Monday has been replaced with a much smaller one. Some kind of lizard is sunning itself under a lamp inside. Sokka watches it flick its little tail contentedly as he sets up his experiment.</p><p>“Alright,” Sokka says to half the room of waiting nine-to-tens. “This is kind of a fun demonstration for a rainy day. It's about the water cycle. Do any of you know what that is?"</p><p>A few children shout out key words like, “Condensation!”, “Evaporation!”</p><p>"That's really excellent, lots of smart cookies here I see," he laughs a little, hoping it doesn't sound nervous. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Zuko leading an activity about species classification, which he’s sure will tie into the lizard thing somehow.</p><p>"Does anybody know why condensation happens?" Sokka asks. Nobody knows. "It's really cold up high in the sky, so the water in the air can't stay vapor anymore. So it turns back into liquid. And then?"</p><p>"Rainstorm!" a little girl howls, demonstrating with her fingers waggling downwards.</p><p>"So what I am going to show you is like a mini version of that," Sokka explains, pointing out the window. He plugs in the hot plate, and reads over the directions one last time. "I'm going to make it very warm at the bottom of this jar," he holds up a plastic jar of water which he’d stolen out of one of the other activity boxes. On the bottom is a hot plate, and on the top is a tray of ice cubes. "And very cold at the top. And we are going to see what happens when the water at the bottom turns into vapor and rises up to the cold part”</p><p>Sokka turns on the hot plate and waits.</p><p>"Who's ready to see some rain?" he asks. Nothing is happening in the jar yet, but the kids are staring.</p><p>"Mr. Sokka, I think it's melting," says the girl in the front.</p><p>At first, Sokka thinks she's talking about the ice on the top. Then he smells the plastic. "Oh, spirits," he yelps. Tendrils of smoke are starting to curl up from the hot plate. An entire semester of Thermodynamics flies out of his brain as he starts to panic and try to fan them away.</p><p>“It really is raining!” one of the little girls squeals, pointing at the droplets dripping down from the top of the jar.</p><p>Zuko looks over when the kids in his group start covering their noses.</p><p>"Is that plastic?" he asks. The fire alarm begins to chirp.</p><p>"Okay, it's going to be fine," Sokka addresses the kids. "To the hall, now."</p><p>"Turn this off!" Zuko roars, pulling the plug on the hot plate. Right. Sokka knew that.</p><p>Zuko is the last one out the door, after he doubles back for the creature in the tank.</p><p>“Oh, spirits,” Sokka moans. “We’re going to have to evacuate. In the storm. Suki’s going to kill me. You’re going to kill me. Small children are going to kill me.”</p><p>“Stop mumbling,” says Zuko. As they file into the hall, the alarm stops. The main alarms in the hallway do not sound.</p><p>Haru has been summoned by the commotion, and Sokka sheepishly confesses what happened.</p><p>After inspecting the situation, it is decided that there is no need to evacuate the whole building, but that no one can go back inside the room until after lunch. Sokka and Zuko’s kids are sent to the arts and crafts room with Ty Lee and Aang.</p><p>"So you ran back for the lizard, huh?" Sokka observes.</p><p>"It’s a fire alarm. We don't leave friends behind," Zuko says, dead seriously.</p><p>Real, genuine laughter bubbles up in Sokka’s throat before he has a chance to anticipate it.</p><p>Zuko’s face reddens. “And he’s—he’s not a lizard!”</p><p>Sokka laughs again, then schools his face. “No, no, I know. He’s your friend.”</p><p>“He’s a bearded dragon.” Zuko grumbles. He shifts the creature’s position on his shoulder and glares murderously.</p><p>“No, I’m sorry, I wasn’t teasing, I swear,” Sokka throws up his hands in surrender. “It was just adorable, the way you said it.”</p><p>Zuko scowls.</p><p>“Come on, they don’t need our help here,” says Sokka, leading Zuko out of the room. In the main hallway of the center, more volunteers are setting up for lunch. “Can I get you some yellow sugar water as an apology?”</p><p>The corner of Zuko’s mouth quirks up. “That’s what Ty Lee calls it.”</p><p>“Yeah, I got that from her.” Sokka nicks two cups of shitty lemonade and returns. “Want to sit down somewhere?”</p><p>Zuko nods. “I know a good spot.”</p><p>Sokka follows him out to the back porch of the rec center, where there’s an ancient-looking picnic table. It's muggy outside, but compared to the stifling rec center the air feels cool on Sokka's face. The rain pounding down splashes the bench on the far side, so he sets both cups down on the side nearest to the building.</p><p>Zuko sits down and sips at his drink. “I’ve always suspected that all three flavors are the same. It’s just water, corn syrup, and various food dyes.”</p><p>“You mean this lemonade isn’t fresh-squeezed?”</p><p>Zuko rolls his eyes, just a little. The bearded dragon is still perched on his shoulder, and gnaws on the collar of his polo shirt.</p><p>“So are these guys your personal pets, like from home?” Sokka asks.</p><p>“Yeah. My uncle isn’t the biggest fan of them to be honest, but he knows what they mean to me,” says Zuko. “You met Turtle the ball python, and then there’s Sunny the crested gecko, and then this is Druk.”</p><p>“Can I pet him?” Sokka asks.</p><p>“Sure, he likes gentle scritches on the top of his head.”</p><p>While Sokka is petting Druk, Zuko clears his throat. “Hey, um, I guess I wanted to say thank you for giving me a chance.”</p><p>“No problem,” says Sokka with exaggerated nonchalance. “Seriously, I know I wouldn’t want to be judged by the person I was in high school.”</p><p>Zuko strokes Druk’s beard in thought. “I guess, if I really didn’t want that, I shouldn’t be going to uni in my hometown,” he shrugs.</p><p>“Why are you then?”</p><p>“That’s a pretty personal question,” Zuko bristles. Then he sees the startled look on Sokka’s face and backpedals. “No wait, I’m sorry, I guess it doesn’t seem that personal to most people. I just wasn’t ready. I had only just gotten settled—I mean—yeah. I just wasn’t ready to move out.”</p><p>“That’s cool,” says Sokka, hoping it doesn’t sound forced. He can’t exactly relate. For his part, he had jumped at his first chance to try living on campus somewhere far away. Even though Dad’s return mid-sophomore year of high school had taken some of the pressure off of him, he’d never really gotten over the feeling of needing to constantly protect and nurture his younger sister. He’d wanted escape. Leaving had brought its own tide of guilt and anxiety, but he definitely hadn’t wanted to stay.</p><p>Thunder crackles in the distance. Druk flicks his tail.</p><p>Zuko’s free hand is resting on the picnic table bench beside him, and for a moment Sokka thinks about reaching out to take it. He doesn’t want to shatter the gentleness of the moment.</p><p>“Are you coming back any other weeks this summer?” Zuko asks quietly. “We could try your idea again.”</p><p>“I’m not signed up for any,” says Sokka, a bit regretfully. “When will you be here? In case I sign up again.”</p><p>“I’m always here,” says Zuko.</p><p>When Sokka doesn’t respond right away, Zuko clarifies. “I always work all six sessions. I have for a couple years now.”</p><p>Sokka does the math quickly in his head. “That’s like…a hundred and eighty service hours.”</p><p>“Mmm,” Zuko agrees. “It’s safe here. It’s, uh, pretty predictable. And really rewarding.”</p><p>"I never really went to camp as a kid," Sokka offers.</p><p>"Me neither."</p><p>Sokka sets his hand on the bench too, and lets their pinkie fingers brush up against each other. When another crack of thunder sounds, Zuko moves his closer and Sokka takes it.</p><p>They both want to stay in this moment of subliminal quiet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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